Giving Up is Something I Can't Do
by NathanKhin
Summary: It all started with a dull pain. Of course, being an athlete, you would ignore this kind of pain right? You probably would think that's it's just from fatigue from today's training. But you never know. This pain that you're experiencing might be the cause for you to stop playing a sport you really love.


This is a fanfic request by: KKtheNeko

Sorry it took me a long time to publish it!

* * *

It all started with a dull pain.

Of course, being an athlete, you would ignore this kind of pain right? You probably would think that's it's just from fatigue from today's training. But you never know. This pain that you're experiencing might be the cause for you to stop playing a sport you really love.

Kazemaru returned to his room tiredly. Training was hard today. He took the towel off his damp hair. He just a warm shower right after practice.

He lay down his bed and closed his eyes, trying to sleep. He knew that the others would come looking for him in no time.

'Just a nap... I'm so tired...' Kazemaru thought as sleep claimed him.

-2 hours later-

"Endou-kun, it's almost dinner time. You should call Kazemaru-kun." Aki said as she along with the two managers of Inazuma Japan, Fuyuppe and Haruna, set the table.  
"Sure thing!" Endou said cheerfully.

He ran up the stairs and knocked at Kazemaru's door as soon as he reached the tealnet's room. He raised his eyebrows when he didn't get any answers. He knocked , none.

"Kazemaru!" Endou called. "It's dinner time already!"

Silence still ensued.

Endou sighed and opened Kazemaru's door.

He saw the tealnet sleeping soundly. Endou hesitated, should he wake Kazemaru up?

"Kazemaru?" Endou said as he shook the tealnet. "Kazemaru."  
"Not now..." Kazemaru mumbled as he turned his back on Endou. "I'm still tired..."  
"Kazemaru, it's time for dinner." Endou tried to wake the tealnet again.  
"Later..." Kazemaru mumbled again.  
"I guess Kazemaru's very tired, Endou-kun. He won't wake up even if you insist." A voice was sudden;y heard.  
"Hiroto," Endou said as he turned to the person standing on the doorway.  
"Just let him rest. The practice was very hard especially for him and Fubuki. They were still improving 'The Hurricane' a while ago." Hiroto said and left to go to the cafeteria.

With too much hesitation, Endou stood up from sitting on Kazemaru's bed and followed Hiroto to eat with the others.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kazemaru-kun?" Fubuki said as he appraoched the tealnet.  
"Yes? What is it Fubuki?" Kazemaru said as looked at the Legendary Ice Striker.  
"Are you alright? You have been sleeping way too early than you used to and because of that, you have beeen skipping dinner forthe past five days. Is there something wrong?" Fubuki said worriedly.  
"N-nothing's wtong Fubuki. I'm just... getting easily tired. Our haissatsu move takes a lot of energy, you know." Kazemaru said.

True enough. Kazemaru was less energetic these past days and goes to sleep as soon as he finishes his shower.

Fubuki didn't believe Kazemaru. There were some times when he caught a glimpse of Kazemaru wincing in pain.

Fubuki was about to say something when Endou shouted:

"Minna! Our match against Gaia would be later~!"

"Captain... Always thinking about soccer, huh?" Fubuki said as he smiled.  
"Aa. He should just go and marry a soccerball." Kazemaru said, smiling also.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Gaia**

**GK:**

Genda

**DF:**

Ulvida

Kirigakure

Touko

Rika

**MF:**

Nagumo

Aphrodi

Dylan

**FW:**

Suzuno

Mark (Captain)

Fideo

**Raimon**

**GK****:**

Endou (Captain)

**DF:**

Kogure

Kabeyama

Tsunami

**MF:**

Kazemaru

Midorikawa

Sakuma

Kidou

**FW:**

Gouenji

Hiroto

Fubuki

Gaia was a team created by Mark so that he could as a friendly match with Raimon. He did succeed in recruiting players.

And so the match went on with Raimon's kickoff.

Fubuki was able to ran past the forwards of Gaia. He passed the ball to Sakuma as he saw Aphrodi approaching him before the blonde could use 'Heaven's Time' on him.

"Tsk." Aphrodi said as they ran past him.

Sakuma, knowing very little of Touko, was beaten when Touko used 'The Tower!' on him.

"Aphrodi!" Touko said as she passed the ball to Aphrodi.  
Aphrodi gracefully walked towards Raimon's goal. As he saw Mido and Hiroto running towards him, he didn't think twice and used "HEAVEN'S TIME!"

For Mido and Hiroto, it seemed like Aphrodi disappeared in a blink of an eyeand appeared at their back the time really stopped and Aphrodi just walked past them. A harsh gust of wind suddenly threw both of them. As Aphrodi started walknig towards Raimon's goal again, he didn't understand why no one of Raimon's defenders moved to stop him. That is, until he felt as if he was going to fall backwards. And he was actually. After a player tackled him from behind to get the ball. He looked at the person who attacked him. Kazemaru. The tealnet had a smirk on his face as he passed the ball to Hiroto. He forgot about the agile midfielder.

Hiroto then passed the ball to a certain strategist. Kidou. And with 'Illusion Ball!' Kidou was able to pass through Gaia's members and passed the ball back to Hiroto.

"THE BIRTH!" Hiroto and Fubuki said in unison as they performed their own combination haissatsu and went through Genda and Kirigakure's "Dual Smash!"

And the match went on.

Raimon won with 3-2. It was a diffult match, alright. Their winning point was Kazemaru and Fubuki's combination haissatsu attack, "The Hurricane!" which was very powerful than the last time they buth used it. It surprised both teams when they performed it. The Raimon knew that both of them were practicing it but they didn't expect for it to be that powerful already. The Gaia's goal net was broken because of that strong Haissatsu.

"You can use that Haissatsu on the next FFI, Endou-kun!" Aphrodi said as he and the other Gaia members talked to Endou and the rest of Raimon.

As everyone was celebrating, including Gaia whom Endou decided to pull along with them, Hiroto noticed Kazemaru standing in the middle of the field, face hidden behind his hair.

"Hey," Hiroto said as soon as he was near the tealnet.

Endou, who was talking to Dylan, Fideo, Mark and Aphrodi, stopped his topic about soccer when he saw Hiroto and Kazemaru together and alone in the middle of the field. Endou's smile faded and stared at the two.

The four members of Gaia whom Endou was talking to looked at the two people who Endou was staring at.

"Jealous?" Fideo and Aphrodi said in unison, teasing was hinted in their voices.

Endou's only answer was a blush on his face. But he did feel jealous. VERY.

"Hey..." Hiroto said as he placed his hand on Kazemaru's shoulder. "Are you alright?"  
"Y-yeah..." Kazemaru said as he nodded a little.

Hiroto was about to remove his hand from Kazemaru's shoulder and walk away when the tealnet suddenly collapsed at him.

"KAZEMARU!" Hiroto's frantic scream attracted everyone's attention. Both Raimon and Gaia's.

Endou ran as fast as he can to his team mates.

"Hiroto! What happened?!" Endou said as he crouched down beside Hiroto who had Kazemaru on his lap. "He just fell!" Hiroto said a bit frantically. He had Kazemaru's body lifted halfway. Kazemaru's back was lifted by Hiroto's arm while his lower half was on the ground.

Midorikawa, Kazemaru's bestfriend along with Fubuki, removed Kazemaru's hair off the tealnet's face. What they saw surprised everyone.

Tears.

Tears were running down Kazemaru's face. The amber-brown eyes were closed in pain.

"K-Kazemaru? What's wrong?" Mido said, worriedly.  
"I-it hurts..." Was Kazemaru's mumbled reply.  
"What hurts, Kazemaru?" Fubuki asked very gently.  
"I can't move my legs... they hurt... It hurts..." Kazemaru said and with that, his entire body became limp and Hiroto felt Kazemaru's weight become heavier on his arm.  
"Kazemaru?" Mido said as he shook Kazemaru by the shoulder. "Kazemaru!"

It scared them as Kazemaru remained limp.

Tsunami, being the first one to recover from their scared state, carried Kazemaru and ran directly to the school gates and called a cab to go directly to the hospital with Fubuki and Midorikawa.

Both Gaia and Raimon went to the Inazuma Caravan and followed Tsunami, Midorikawa and Fubuki's cab to the hospital.

* * *

I guess that's it for now. Cliffies!


End file.
